Im 21. Jahrhundert immer noch nicht sicher

Die Leute stellen immer noch die falschen Fragen über Emily Dickinson – schreibt Marga Jefferson, NYT*) 18.1.04 Kein Wunder, daß sie nie ihr Haus verließ, meint sie – denn es ist immer noch nicht sicher draußen. Beispiel:

What Wolpaw really wants is to fantasize about the men in Emily’s life. What about “The Master,“ the mysterious figure she wrote passionate poems to? This is the point of that stale baseball pun. “What I really wanted to know,“ he confides, “was whether Master or anyone else had ever gotten past second base with Emily Dickinson.“ How else could anyone explain the gloriously sexy poem beginning:

Wild nights / Wild nights!
Were I with thee
Wild Nights should be
Our luxury!

Here we are in the 21st century and there’s still something unacceptable about a woman who can write great poetry, and erotic poetry, without the presence of a husband or lover.